Dances With Werewolves
by lady-yuki1
Summary: The trio's sixth year at Hogwarts sees a depressed Harry, an anxious Ron, Neville, Luna, Ginny, and Hermione who buckling under the weight of her friends' problems. Only the latest DADA teacher (Prof. Lupin) can help her.
1. Chapter One

Dances With Werewolves  
  
Summary: It's Hermione's sixth year at Hogwarts. The trio has expanded to hold Neville, Luna, and Ginny. Harry's depressed, Ron's worried about Harry, Ginny's worried about Ron (and how to impress Dean), Neville's worried about everything, and Luna is, well, Luna. All of them are leaning on Hermione, but none of them are offering to help Hermione. Hermione finds solace in the latest DADA teacher, a Mr. Remus J. Lupin.  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter. Don't plan to own Harry Potter. Besides, if I did own Harry Potter, the sixth book would be coming out by June '04.  
  
A/N: One of my first fics (the rest were crap) so please be kind! Also, it's going to take a bit of time for some romance to occur, but I have bits of all sorts of chapters written down so I actually have things to aim for. And remember: reviewing is your friend!  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
Chapter One:  
  
Hermione Granger woke up in her parent's home for the last time until next June. She rolled over to check the alarm clock; it was six o'clock in the morning. After another half-hour of tossing and turning she finally decided to get out of bed and prepare for a sixth year at Hogwarts. Grabbing her new glasses (apparently her passion for reading had strained them, although Hermione blamed the curse she'd suffered in June), Hermione rolled out of bed and grabbed her check-list off of the desk she used mainly to keep some of her piles of books on. She had all of her books, along with any other supplies she'd need for the year. Hermione sorted everything by section and size and placed everything into her trunk.  
  
Realizing that she still had over an hour to kill, Hermione reached for the piles of letters from all of her friends. As much as Hermione wanted to see all of them, she didn't especially want to see Harry again. He'd been so distant at Sirius' funeral and became more depressed in each latter. He had recounted the 'final battle' to Hermione in such detail that Hermione felt as though she'd been there to see Sirius fall through the curtain. When Remus had recounted the events at the funeral, Hermione had cried hardest of anyone there. She'd felt the strange looks that everyone gave her and didn't care; it was the look of sympathy and understanding in Remus' eyes that had made her cry even harder.  
  
Pushing that memory out of her head, Hermione decided to skip Harry's letters. "There's no point in being depressed for the first day, no, is there?" she asked herself.  
  
"That's the spirit, dear," the mirror hanging on her wall told her, giving Hermione quite a fright. She still wasn't used to the talking mirror she'd gotten from her parents as a reward for perfect scores on her O.W.L.'s. Hermione flipped through the rest of the letters in which: Ron worried about Harry, Ginny worried about Ron (and how to impress Dean), Neville worried about everything, and Luna was, well, Luna. In the hundreds of lines Hermione'd collected over the summer, nobody had ever asked Hermione how she was. Instead, all of them pressed their worries onto Hermione, all leaning on her, and it was getting to be too much to handle.  
  
Hermione was pushed out of her self-pity by her mother yelling "Hermione! We have to leave in fifty minutes! Come and get something to eat!" up the stairs at her. Hermione gave a final glance around her room, checked for the hundredth time to make sure she had all of her homework, stuffed the mirror into her trunk, shoved Crookshanks into his cage, and went downstairs to her final Muggle meal for what at the moment seemed to be an eternity.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N: Too short? Too long? Any other comments/changes? I'll make any changes (as long as they aren't too extreme or go against my entire storyline and if the suggestions are made in a kind manner) if you review!!! What are the rules everyone?  
  
Entire HP cast: REVIEW AND MAKE HER HAPPY! Voldermort: Or I'll come for you. * evil laughter * 


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: see Chapter One  
  
A/N: Hello again! Here's Chapter Two, hope you like it. Remember: reviews are friends.  
  
Shenzee: Thanks for the first review I've ever gotten :)  
  
WolfAxe: Thanks for your review as well. This chapter will be longer (hopefully) than the last.  
  
--------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Two: Return to Hogwarts  
  
Hermione slipped through the barrier to Platform 9¾. Every year it got easier for her to leave the Muggle world behind. She wasn't quite sure whether this was a good thing.  
  
The first thing she saw on the platform was Harry sulking, his face beet- red from yelling, with Ron trying to calm him down. Neville, Luna, and Ginny were standing near to the two boys speaking to each other in hushed voices.  
  
Hermione groaned and hurried forward as quickly as she could with a heavy trunk and an unhappy cat. "What is it, Harry?" she asked as sympathetically as she could without seeming too much so.  
  
Harry turned his glare unto her, but Hermione didn't waver. Instead, she stared Harry right in the eye waiting for his response. "Lupin's going to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts this year," he growled.  
  
"Oh, Harry, that's wonderful!" Hermione exclaimed. Harry intensified the glare as the rest of the group looked at her in shock. "Why is this not wonderful?"  
  
"HE NEVER TOLD ME HE WAS COMING."  
  
"oh."  
  
"I just found out last night when he appeared in Mrs. Figg's fireplace. I was staying there while the Dursleys were 'out'. If he's watching out for me so much and is supposed to be my latest father figure, WHY DIDN'T HE TELL ME?" Harry exploded, drawing the attention of quite a few other students. Hermione had never seen him get so angry over such a small matter.  
  
"Okay, that probably wasn't the best thing he could've done, but he'll still be there. He can help us prepare in case we ever face Voldermort- stop whimpering, Ron!- and his death eaters again, right?" Harry didn't respond. He just turned away from Hermione and kept on sulking.  
  
"What'd you do that for, Hermione?" Ron asked.  
  
"I was trying to help, Ronald. I don't see why he needed to get so angry."  
  
"He has a right to be angry, Hermione," Ginny interjected.  
  
"Yeah!" Neville added.  
  
Hermione expected Luna to join in, but she just got out a copy of The Quibbler and read more about Crumple-Horned Snorlacks. She and her father hadn't caught any over the summer break.  
  
Hermione managed an apology. The rest of the group seemed to accept it and they started to talk about the upcoming year some more, being careful not to bring up Lupin or Sirius.  
  
"All aboard!" The conductor called them all onto the Hogwarts Express. The group took their usual seats in their usual compartment. Several minutes into the journey, Hermione, Ron, Luna, and Ginny left for the first prefect meeting of the year. It was very uneventful and pretty much the same as the previous year. In no time at all, the train arrived at Hogwarts.  
  
The usual carriages (pulled by 'invisible horses' that really were thestrals) were waiting for them outside of Hogsmeade Station. Ron, Harry, Luna, and Neville took one carriage, Ginny ran off to join Dean, Seamus, and Justin's carriage while Hermione was forced to sit alone in the last carriage.  
  
As soon as the thestrals moved forward, an owl landing opposite Hermione after depositing a letter in her lap. Hermione didn't recognize the hand- writing, but still opened the navy blue envelope, took out the parchment inside, and read the note inside.  
  
Don't worry about them; they'll come around. You can handle everything.  
  
The letter wasn't signed. Hermione ripped off a spare bit of parchment off one edge of the letter and wrote a short note on it:  
  
Thanks. I needed that.  
--Hermione Granger  
  
"Can you take this to whoever sent you?" she asked the brown owl. The owl gave a small nod, took the parchment, and flew off into the night. If Hermione had looked up at the castle, she would've seen someone in a candle- lit room watching her.  
  
Hermione's spirits were greatly lifted by the letter. Although she wanted to know who sent the letter, she was able to spend the rest of the journey doing something she very rarely did anymore: rest.  
  
Hermione's carriage stopped next to Harry's in front of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry got out and faced Hermione. "I'm sorry, Hermione," he said, looking her in the eye. "I just, I don't know, something about me changed after what happened at the end of last year."  
  
"I understand, Harry," Hermione replied, although she truly didn't. Yes, the death of Sirius was sad, but Harry needed to learn to move on.  
  
The group banded together again and trooped up the stairs to the Great Hall. 


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: See Chapter One  
  
Review Thanks: AngelofDarkness27, Kia, randomyoupreper!  
  
WolfAxe: You're right. It was bit obvious, I know, but what can I do?  
  
And a thanks from me to Evanescence and Enya(even though they'll never read this) because those are the only two groups I can listen to while writing. Have to give credit where credit is due, right?  
  
A/N: Here's the third chapter. The next few will probably be either short or fluffy, but that's because I only have ideas for five of what'll be many chapters. This fic will go all the way through sixth year and then probably touch on seventh year a bit.  
  
I apologize in advance for any slow updates; the new school year starts on Tuesday and I'm as obsessive about school as I am about Harry Potter. I'll be constantly writing in the notebook where the hard copy of this is, but the typing/posting bit will take longer for me to do. Sorry!  
  
Without any further ado, the third chapter!!  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------- [ ------- ] = Hermione's thoughts  
  
Chapter Three: The First Feast  
  
They proceeded to the Great Hall. Luna went to sit at the Ravenclaw table while the rest of the group went to sit at the Gryffindor table. Hermione sat with Lavender Brown on one side, Ginny on the other, and Ron sitting in front of her, Ron had Pavarti Patil on one side and Harry on the other, and Ginny was sitting next to Dean.  
  
The trembling first years came in led by Professor McGonagall. The Sorting Hat sang the same song as the previous year and the first years were sorted. No-one in particular stood out among them, and nobody in Gryffindor had a first-year sibling.  
  
What all the students did notice was that all the students who had at least one death eater for a parent was absent. The Slytherin table was very empty. Hermione didn't mind Draco Malfoy's absence, she didn't think that she'd be able to handle his insults for another year in the midst of everything else that was going on.  
  
Dumbledore stood and opened with a "hem-hem" in a perfect imitation of the former DADA teacher, Professor Umbridge. Some students thought she was back, but everyone else laughed. Everyone but the few remaining Slytherins.  
  
Dumbledore waiting for all of the laughter to die down then proceeded with his speech. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. It's wonderful to see all of you. Now for some announcements.  
  
"Mr. Filch has expanded his list for forbidden items. Anything created by Fred and George Weasley cannot be used on Hogwarts grounds. If you'd like to have a look at the list, I'm sure Mr. Filch would be happy to go over it with you.  
  
"We have a new addition to our staff this year. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is Professor Remus Lupin." Whispers from all four tables mixed with the cheers coming from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. The Hufflepuffs clapped politely and the Slytherins talked amongst themselves with some pointed glares toward the staff table.  
  
Dumbledore began to speak again. "As most of you know, Professor Lupin is a werewolf. At the full moon, our Potions professor, Severus Snape, will make the Wolfsbane potion for him, making Professor Lupin harmless to all humans in the castle. On days when he is unable to teach, I will be his substitute." More cheers met this announcement. Hermione joined in automatically but concentrated on Lupin.  
  
[He looks so much older, his eyes are so sad but remain that deep, chocolate brown that used to match his now-graying hair. God, he looks good. Still wearing those old tattered robes, but you can see him so much better than you could if he was wearing thick robes. I wish I could make him smile again. He hasn't smiled since- I can't remember him smiling. Bet it's a nice smile. No! Can't think this way, Hermione, he's a teacher. Concentrate on what Dumbledore's saying. That's the key.]  
  
What Hermione didn't know that someone was watching her as she got lost in her thoughts. This person spoke up.  
  
"Hemione? Hello?"  
  
"Hmm? What is it, Ron?"  
  
"Are you okay? What are you looking at?"  
  
"I'm watching Professor Dumbledore, of course."  
  
"Glad you're listening to him. Tell me if he says anything interesting, all right?"  
  
"Ronald Weasley-"  
  
She was interrupted by Dumbledore's "Tuck in." Everyone did tuck in, and Hermione busied herself talking to the people around her. Lavender had spent the summer interning at a Divination shop, and Pavarti had traveled all around the United States.  
  
Soon it was time to lead everyone to Gryffindor House, and Hermione was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N: Well? Didja like it? Sorry it ended so quickly, I decided I didn't like what I originally wrote. Remember: READ, REVIEW, RECOMMEND! Y'all are so good at the first two, I just had to add a third :)  
  
More is coming. 


	4. Chapter Four

A/N: Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter! Sorry this one took so long. September is my busiest month with school starting meaning not a lot of free time. I'll try to update faster in the future. I'll not keep you waiting, here Chapter Four!  
  
[ _____________ ] = Hermione's thoughts  
  
{_____________}= Lupin's thoughts ----------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Four: DADA  
  
Hermione woke early on the first day of lessons like she had for the past five years. She got dressed in record times in the usual skirt, sweater, blouse, tie, and robe combination and hurried down to the Gryffindor Common Room to meet Harry and Ron. Naturally, they weren't there.  
  
With a roll of her eyes, Hermione plopped into the group of chairs where Pavarti, Lavender, Dean, and Seamus were congregating. Pavarti was talking, not a big surprise.  
  
"-went to New York City and saw all the sites."  
  
Hermione, being very informed on the 'sites' after reading America, A Modern History over the summer, broke into the conversation. "Did you go to the library?"  
  
"Hello, Hermione. I didn't see you sit down."  
  
"The New York City Public Library. Did you go there?"  
  
"The thing is, Hermione, a vacation is when you take a break from everything. Normal people, such as myself, don't go to libraries to have fun; we go shopping or to the beach. And by the way, this is a conversation for normal people only. You are definitely not normal, so good-bye!"  
  
Hermione rose without a sound and walked out of Gryffindor Tower, the laughter of Pavarti and Lavender following her all the way to the Great Hall.  
  
Hermione went straight to the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. She was pulling out the latest edition of Hogwarts, A History (the only new thing was a chapter devoted to Harry Potter) when Ron and Harry sat down in front of her quickly followed by Neville, Ginny, Dean and Seamus.  
  
"Sorry about Pavarti and Lav, Hermione. They didn't do very well on their O.W.L.s and, of course, blame your high scores for messing them up," Dean said after a moment of awkward silence.  
  
"Yeah, Hermione. Sorry," Seamus added quickly.  
  
Once Seamus stopped talking, the awkward silence began again and Hermione noticed that Harry was, as usual, upset about something and the rest of them were trying not to bring up whatever the something was up.  
  
"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked as was expected of her.  
  
"Everything," Harry said, glaring at her, "is wrong. Lessons start today and we'll probably end up starting the year with Double Potions, with the Slytherins of course, and the rest of the day will be Defense Against the Dark Arts. None of it matters though since I'm going to die anyway."  
  
Before Harry could continue, Ron broke into the conversation. "Well, let's tuck in, shall we?" He gave a pointed look to Hermione who got the point and dropped the subject. As they loaded up their plates, Hermione spoke again.  
  
"Has anyone got the schedules?" People all through the hall were noticing the noticeable lack of schedule sheets. Finally, one of the Ravenclaw prefects went up to ask Dumbledore what was going on.  
  
As the Ravenclaw hurried back to her table, Dumbledore rose to address the students. "Some of you have noticed that there are no schedule sheets yet. This year, the sheets will apply to the entire year that you are in. As a result, your schedules will be handed out in your first class.  
  
First years, go to the Quidditch pitch for flying lessons with Madam Hooch. Second years, please go to Professor Snape's room, you'll begin with potions. Third years will start with Herbology in Greenhouse One with Professor Sprout. Fourth years, go to the edge of the forest to begin with Care of Magical Creatures with Professor Hagrid. Fifth years, you'll start with Transfiguration. Sixth, and Seventh years, please remain here for some important announcements. You're dismissed!" The first through fifth years hurried out so they wouldn't be late on the first day of class.  
  
Those remaining in the Great Hall moved closer to the staff table in order to here Dumbledore better. "Sixth and seventh years. You have a demanding year ahead of you. You will have six main classes, one taught per day with Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures sharing a day. The other classes are Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Any other classes you wish to take, such as Arithmancy and Divination, will be taught either on weekends or evenings, depending on the teacher.  
  
Sixth years, you will start today with Charms. Seventh years will spend the day with me, discussing career options in more depth than you did towards the end of your fifth year. I have all of your schedules here."  
  
The schedules were distributed through the crowd. After glancing at it, Hermione raised her hand.  
  
"Miss Granger?"  
  
"How will the teachers work with the first though fifth years if two days of their week are devoted to the sixth and seventh years?"  
  
"We've adjusted schedules to allow for no conflicts. Their classes will be longer as well and all four houses will be taking classes together in expanded classrooms. Now, if the sixth years could please go to Professor Flitwick's room, the seventh years have their careers to plan."  
  
The sixth years moved as a pack, everyone whispering about the new schedules. The rest of their week went like this:  
  
Monday- Charms  
After-school: Muggle Studies Tuesday- Potions Wednesday- Care of Magical Creatures in the morning, Herbology in the afternoon Thursday- Transfiguration  
After-school: Runes Friday- Defense Against the Dark Arts Saturday- Arithmancy and Divination Sunday- Free/Quidditch games  
  
Charms and Muggle Studies were uneventful, as were the rest of their classes through Thursday. The Gryffindors weren't punished by Snape as often as usual. As it turned out, he hated the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws just as much as the Gryffindors and seemed to be in the process of figuring who he hated the most.  
  
Defense Against the Dark Arts was the 'big test'. Harry was still mad at Lupin though his anger had lessened since September 1st. He was still very touchy and yelled at his friends at least twice a day.  
  
Hermione thought she was about to explode beneath the pressure of paying attention to lectures, the increasing amount of homework, remembering all the spells, and giving all of her friends a person to lean on. She wanted to leave all of them behind and be more of a normal person but her friends just wouldn't leave her alone. Especially in Defense Against the Dark Arts.  
  
The sixth-years congregated outside of Professor Lupin's classroom long before class started. He had always been their favourite DADA teacher and they couldn't wait to see what was in store for them this time. Hermione was in the front of the line with Ron and Harry. Harry wouldn't stop complaining about Lupin but Hermione wasn't really listening to anything he said. The door swung open and the trio walked in and sat several rows from the front though Hermione would've liked to be in the front row.  
  
Lupin walked in to the applause of many. "It's lovely to see all of you again," he started, "and I assure you that I'm not a secret spy for the ministry out to destroy the integrity of the Hogwarts staff like a certain former teacher." This comment was met with laughter and more applause from everyone but Harry.  
  
"He thinks he's so funny and so great. He doesn't know anything the stupid- " Harry muttered to Hermione. He would've continued had Lupin not started talking again.  
  
Lupin went spent the morning going over the last five years of material, testing to make sure that everyone knew what they were talking about. The former members of Dumbledore's Army knew the answers to every question and Neville volunteered to show different jinxes and defensive spells several times.  
  
The house-elves delivered lunch in the class-room and even Hermione had to admit the food was quite delicious. Once everyone had finished, Lupin gave an outline of the "great" Dark wizards of all time, including Grindewald and Voldermort.  
  
Harry, being the charming boy he was, kept whispering through all of class, talking to Hermione so she couldn't hear half of what Lupin was saying. It didn't really matter since she knew all of it anyway, but she wished that for once Harry would think about someone other than himself for once. By the end of class, Hermione was on the verge of tears of anger and despair. Luckily, class ended quickly. Unluckily, Lupin had to speak one more time before class was over.  
  
"Thank you for being such a wonderful class, I'll see all of you next Friday. Hermione, please stay after class for a moment. I'd like to speak with you." Hermione stayed at her desk as the rest of the students filed out, whispering. She overhead Pavarti telling someone, "Guess Little Miss Perfect isn't as perfect after all," and could feel the stares of other students on her. Hermione just started straight ahead. It was growing more difficult every moment to not break down.  
  
"Harry, Ron, you can leave," she whispered to her two friends who hadn't moved from their seats. She gave them a glare that sent them from the room, still rather reluctantly. When Harry closed the door, Hermione got up and walked to Lupin's desk at the front of the room.  
  
"Yes, Professor?" Hermione asked him, head down.  
  
"Hermione, how-" he began to speak before being cut off by Hermione.  
  
"If you ask me how Harry is I swear to god I will never speak to you again," Hermione raised her head giving her professor a death glare. She spoke in a deadly whisper.  
  
"Actually, I was going to ask how you were doing. I know Harry can't stand me at the moment and he needs some serious anger management. I can see how they're wearing on you."  
  
"I'm fine. I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Hermione, you can talk to me. I know what it feels like when your friends aren't really your friends anymore. My one remaining 'friend' is a murderous traitor, remember?"  
  
Hermione began to cry. Not quietly or gracefully but in pointed, loud sobs that racked her body. "They don't know me anymore. Nobody does. I'm just good-old-dependable Hermione who can't possibly have any issues of her own but only exists so her friends can dump all of their problems on her. Oh no, I couldn't possibly be on the verge of a breakdown everyday with everything that's going on," Hermione practically screamed between sobs. She walked around as she spoke, waving her arms around dramatically. "I'm the perfect prefect with the perfect grades and the perfect friends and the perfect life who really has absolutely no-one in the world!" She slumped against the cupboard that had once held a boggart and slid down in, curled up in a ball, sobbing into her arms.  
  
Lupin ran to her and held her shoulders. "Hermione, look at me," he said. She reluctantly raised her tear-stained face. "Nobody is perfect. Nobody can be perfect. Sure, you may excel at almost every subject except for a year in Divination. Sure, your friends are too embroiled in their own lives. But you aren't alone, Hermione. I'm here for you. I always will be. Remember that."  
  
Hermione looked into his eyes. [ He understands. He really does. His eyes are so full of trust and love. I believe him. He's the one person in the entire world who can ever understand me.]  
  
Lupin, of course, looked straight back into her chocolate eyes. {God, she's been through so much. Why don't they understand that? I can never let her down. I can never leave her. Her soul is so strong but so full of self- doubt.} Without thinking, Lupin lifted Hermione up and hugged her. Hermione returned the hug, letting her last tears fall unto his shoulder. The world stopped and the two of them glowed in a white light. Realizing what they were doing, they jumped apart.  
  
"Erm, Harry and Ron are excepting me. I'd better-"  
  
"Yes, that's a good idea. I'll be down shortly. If you need anything-"  
  
"Right. I'll see you later."  
  
With that, Hermione picked up her bag and left the room.  
  
[I can't be. No way. But that light.. No. He's a teacher. I can never tell him.]  
  
{What have I done? She isn't just a student, she's underage! But I know what that light is. I haven't seen one that strong since James and Lily- but that doesn't matter. I can never tell her.}  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
A/N: Sorry. That was really long. That's the size of the first three chapters combined. REALLY sorry about that, but I didn't know how to split it down. I know, the "light" came out rather obvious but I ignored everything in the notebook when typing this up. Remember: read and review! 


	5. Chapter Five

A/N: Here's the next installment, hope you like it!  
  
[------] Hermione's thoughts {-----} Lupin's thoughts  
  
Sweet Sixteen  
  
The days after Lupin and Hermione's encounter passed without incident. Hermione still had to endure through all of the problems her "friends" had but she knew she could endure if he was still there. At every mealtime, Hermione would watch the staff table to receive his smile. Lupin watched her everyday at lunch, watching her talk and laugh with her friends while occasionally glancing up at him.  
  
Friday, the day all the sixth-years had class with Lupin, was quickly becoming the best day of the week for both of them. Hermione would get to class at the first possible opportunity and stay as long as possible. She did extra research on whatever topic they were studying just he would place more attention on her. She spent so much time studying and hurrying to class, she only had time to either pull her wild hair back into a low ponytail or just leave it the way it was: big and bushy.  
  
Lupin began to spend more time getting himself ready in the morning. He tried many different styles on his rapidly graying hair every morning and began to mend his robes more often. He, too, did extra research on the subject he was getting ready to teach in order to be better prepared to field Hermione's questions and hold better discussions with her.  
  
Finally, September the twenty-second arrived. Not only the birthday of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, but also the sixteenth birthday of one Hermione Granger.  
  
Hermione got up early on her birthday and took her extra time to relax in the common room. Harry and Ron soon came downstairs and the trio headed down for breakfast. Hermione received the usual birthday owl from her parents with a note promising "a big surprise" when she got home. Harry, Ron, and everyone completely forgot it was her birthday. Even Ginny, who was her best friend, didn't stop to wish her a happy birthday.  
  
Halfway through her breakfast, Ron turned to Hermione. "Hermione! I completely forgot! I really need help on our Potions essay. Can I just copy yours?"  
  
"You- Ron- You're just- ugh!" With that, Hermione grabbed her books and ran from the Great Hall, fighting back tears. The last thing she saw was Ron reaching for her half-eaten muffin.  
  
Hermione ran all of the way to Lupin's classroom. She'd moved on from tears to kicking the walls of Hogwarts in frustration and anger. Several of the portraits yelled at her to stop, and, after several minutes, Hermione finally listened and slumped down against the wall. It didn't take long for more students to cluster around the door and for the first time ever, Hermione let them all go ahead when the doors finally swung open. Hermione took a seat in the back corner of the classroom at the last second and avoided everyone's gaze.  
  
Lupin's class was the usual: entertaining, exciting, stimulating, and educational. The only thing missing was Hermione's arm shooting up at every question and a noticeable lack of bushy hair in the front of the room. Finally, class ended. The room emptied as the class ran down to dinner (lunch had been served in the classroom again) and only Hermione remained, at Lupin's request.  
  
Lupin walked to the desk in front of Hermione, turned the seat around, and sat facing her. He pulled a package out of his pocket and pushed it across her desk. "Happy sixteenth birthday, Hermione."  
  
Hermione raised her head to look into his brown eyes. "You. you remembered."  
  
"Of course I remembered. Now open your present."  
  
Hermione did as she was told and opened the box up. Inside was set of four leather bookmarks. Each had a quote. Together they read, "dance as though no one is watching you; love as though you have never been hurt before; sing as though no one can hear you; live as though heaven is on earth." [love. I do love him, but he can never know.]  
  
"Thank you," she whispered, lost in her thoughts of the man sitting across from him. A single tear slipped down her cheek as she thought of the man she could never have.  
  
Lupin reached out and wiped the tear away with his thumb. Taking her hand, he began to speak. "I could never forget, Hermione, anything about you." He stopped, though she could tell there was more he wanted to say. She could soon tell why he had stopped; the light around them was beginning to return.  
  
[Does he know? But if he knows.] Hermione took her hand away from his and stood up. "I'd better go. My friends-"  
  
"-they'll be expecting you."  
  
"Thanks for the bookmarks."  
  
"It was no trouble at all." Hermione turned and was halfway out the door when Lupin spoke again. "Hermione- um, good job on your last paper."  
  
"Thanks, professor." Hermione raced down the stairs to her dinner. [That's right, Hermione, he's your professor. That's it.] Hermione was quiet all through dinner and sat in bed thinking and reading her bookmarks until the last house-elf had finished cleaning.  
  
{That's right. Professor. That's all I'll ever be to her. And smooth, there, Remus. 'Good job on your last paper'. Gah!} Remus chose to eat in his office that night and sat at his desk thinking late through the night.  
  
----------------------------------------------  
  
A/N: I know, not my most stellar piece of work. The thing is, I have everything after this chapter planned out a lot better. Look forward to December's events! And not the several months from now's December, the next chapter December. Lots of "interesting" things to come...  
  
Remember: Read, Review, and the chapters will improve! 


	6. Chapter Six

A/N: Hello all! Sorry it's taken me so long to post. My life is insane due to school, cross-country, new seasons of all my favourite shows, and the like. My English teacher, being insane, gives way too much homework and I'm writing this instead of a long paper on The Iliad. Thanks to all who've given me reviews! Feel free to give any suggestions or compliments. Anything that makes me happy.  
I have a request for anyone out there. Could someone please give me the exact place in the books where Rowling says that Hermione's birthday is September 19th? Someone told me it was in PoA, I reread PoA, and I never saw it. So: book title, page number, in a review/email. That'd be lovely and make me very cheery. Thankee! Oh, and if you find strange words or anything, I'm trying out thesauruses because I'm noticing a lack of a large vocabulary.  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, I'd be off writing the next book in the series quickly.  
  
[ _____________ ] = Hermione's thoughts  
  
{_____________}= Lupin's thoughts  
  
Chapter Six: December  
  
The papers were full of the activities of the side of Voldermort and some parents chose to withdraw their children out of fear that Hogwarts would be targeted for its practice of teaching Muggle-borns and Purebloods side-by- side. Qudditch and Hogsmeade trips had been cancelled, and everyone was disappointed. Professor McGonagall wasn't too disappointed, as this meant that she got to keep the Quidditch cup in her office for another year.  
  
Life at Hogwarts returned to its normal pattern. Harry was getting worse by the minute, but less and less people had sympathy for him. Ron, though, stuck by his side. Snape was getting gaunter every day and Hermione was about to worry about him then remembered who he was. Lupin was quickly becoming everyone's favourite teacher and Hermione lived for Fridays.  
  
Outside of Hogwarts, life was anything but normal. The papers were full of the activities of the side of Voldermort and some parents chose to withdraw their children out of fear that Hogwarts would be targeted for its practice of teaching Muggleborns and Purebloods side-by-side. Qudditch and Hogsmeade trips had been cancelled, and everyone was disappointed. Professor McGonagall wasn't too disappointed, as this meant that she got to keep the Quidditch cup in her office for another year.  
  
Days passed and began to blur together. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and soon it was December. At breakfast on December 1st, Dumbledore stood to make an announcement. A hush fell over the Great Hall; the students had quickly become used to bad news.  
  
"Good morning. I hope that all of you are well. Our community has been plagued by darkness these past months, and I hope what I have to say will bring some light into our lives. Some of those assembled here will remember a Yule Ball that we held two years ago." Murmuring broke out among the students but stopped as Dumbledore raised his hand. "I am pleased to announce that on Christmas Eve, we will be holding an all-school ball. To allow all of you time to get whatever you need, we will be having a Hogsmeade trip the Sunday before that." Cheering met this announcement, but the students again stopped at a sign from Dumbledore. "However, this trip will only be open to student in 5th, 6th, or 7th year, so the rest of you will need to place orders with friends in those years.  
  
"I have one other exciting announcement. Hogwarts normally doesn't do anything for the turn of the Christian year. However, this year the staff has decided to hold a talent show. On December 31st, we will be holding a school talent show that will last all night long. If you wish to participate, please sign up with your head-of-house by breakfast on the day of the talent show. The two of you, or more if you are performing with a group, will discuss what you wish to do and then your head-of-house will approve. Teachers are also welcome to participate. Lessons are due to start in several minutes, so you are all free to leave."  
  
Harry and Ron hurried off to class, but Hermione remained for a moment before slowly leaving, lost in her thoughts. [I really wish I could perform something. I mean, I spent all summer listening to Muggle music. But what should I do? I mean, I'm bookworm-mudblood-Hermione-who-has-no-life-outside- the-library. It's not like I'll have a lot of people cheering for me.] Hermione's thoughts continued in this manner until she reached her classroom.  
  
Lupin got up as soon as Dumbledore and headed to his office as he didn't have a morning class today. He glanced at the pile of work at his desk but walked by it to sit on his window-sill and watch the Care of Magical Creatures class work with Hagrid. Today was Hermione's class.  
  
{How does she do it? She looks so delicate yet she's volunteering to do some of the dirtiest and dangerous things with those animals. Merlin, I wished she knew. If she only knew- well, if she knew, what's to say she would care? I'm an old werewolf who teaches her how to defend herself against dark wizards. She'll have to one day, I know. With him drawing closer and closer. I just wish she'd let me protect her. How can I ever let her know?} Shaking his head, Lupin moved to his seat and sat, unraveling the first paper of many.  
  
Hermione saw movement from a window in the castle as they filed into the stables. She quickly recognized the window as the one in Lupin's office. {What's he doing in there? I wonder what he's thinking right now. Gods, I wish he knew how I feel. Doesn't matter, I suppose. I'm just his student, always buried in one book or another. He wouldn't care about me. He's more likely to fall for Snape.}  
  
"Oi, Hermione!" Ron's voice ripped her out of her thoughts, which was a good thing owing to the pictures flooding her mind. She hurried after the class into the stable, drawing her robe tightly around her to block out the cold.  
  
A/N: Short chapter, I know. I didn't want to tie in the Hogsmeade/Christmas things into this. Sorry! Next chapter is coming soon, don't have many classes this week. Please review and, if you can, give me the place that gives that exact date of Hermione's birth! I know there isn't a year, but day/month things would be much appreciated. Just for a bit of explanation: I know that a few chapters ago I said that Sundays would be free to allow for Quidditch. Parts of the story are taking of in different directions than anticipated and aside from that, I know that I can't write Quidditch games and Hermione's not much of a Qudditcher anyway. 


	7. The Yule BallConfessions

A/N: I apologize for the long wait. I thank all of you who waited with me for this chapter to come. I don't write my entire story at once and then post it chapter by chapter. Instead, I post my first idea for my first chapter and let it develop with me. In a way, I have to wait for the chapters to arrive as much as you. So, without any further ado: the Yule Ball.  
  
[---] Hermione's thoughts {---} Lupin's thoughts  
  
The Yule Ball  
  
The halls quickly filled with the rumor of who was going with whom or who wanted to go with whom to the Yule Ball. Several people, including an embarrassed Ron, had asked Hermione to go with them but she turned all of them down. The one person who she wanted to go with could never, would never ask her.  
  
Lupin had always liked this time of year. The snow surrounding Hogwarts calmed him though it was only days until the next full moon. His heightened senses picked up the scents of many emotions in his classroom: fear, grief, anxiety, delight, jealously, the list continued on and on. He could smell his own fear and grief. The fear of her discovering his true feelings, and grief over a love dead before it was even born.  
  
Hogsmeade weekend arrived much to quickly for Hermione's taste. It forced her to realize the reality that was staring her in the face: she could never be as happy as the rest of the girls, the ones who loved and were loved in return. [Will I always wander this earth with a dying soul? Will I never be happy? Will I always watch them with jealousy, watch him with resentment, and look at myself, rather, the ghost of myself?]  
  
Lupin watched from his office as the students filed out of the castle. As soon as they reached the gates, they hurried ever faster, as though Hogsmeade would disappear if they didn't reach it in time. Only one student walked slowly, pushed along by the girls around her.  
  
Hermione glanced up at the castle. Her gaze landed upon his window first by total accident. She tried moved faster, to get away from him, but her heart held her back. As her feet began to drag, Ginny gave her a push. "Come on, Hermione, we want to get to Madame Malkin's while there are still good dress robes. Don't want to end up like Ron, now, do you?" Finally, Hermione moved faster. [I'll make him regret not loving me.]  
  
Lupin was struck with inspiration. {I've got it! I can show her without telling her or getting fired. Where's my quill...} The students who had stayed behind gaped at their Dark Arts professor as he dashed to the Owlery with a letter in one hand and gold glinting out of one pocket.  
  
The girls, lead by a now-sprinting Hermione, barged through the door of Madame Malkin's. It seemed that they had beaten everyone else. "Oh, hello, dears. Come in, look around," said the witch in charge of the shop while Madame Malkin tended the shop at Diagon Alley. "But first, are any of you Hermione Granger?"  
  
"I'm Hermione Granger," Hermione responded between gasps. She had exerted herself a bit too much in the last 400 meters.  
  
"Buy whatever you like, dear. Someone already paid for your robes." The girls around Hermione began to tease her.  
  
"Oh shut up and help me find some robes!" Pavarti, always thinking of others said, interrupting the curious chatter of her friends.  
  
"Well spoken, dear," the shop-keeper cut in. "Now, who wants what?"  
  
After several hours, the longest hours of Hermione's life, she was finally fitted. After many sets of robes, she finally found the perfect one. "Hermione," Ginny said, "that's the most beautiful set of robes I've ever seen." Indeed they were. Hermione's robes were a deep blue with neutral shades woven in. The style was simple, falling straight from Hermione's shoulders and the bottom of the robes were a bit to long yet fell perfectly around Hermione's feet, making her look taller. They had slight ribbing on the sides with a princess cut. The sleeves were a long bell-cut but not so large that they twisted around Hermione's arms. "They're so. Elvish." Everyone looked at Ginny with a strange expression. "Muggle thing. Dean and I watched the movies many times over when I visited him over the summer." The girls nodded but didn't really understand.  
  
"Oh. My. God."  
  
"What is it, Hermione?"  
  
"Gin, look at the price!"  
  
"Doesn't matter. Your secret admirer is paying, remember?"  
  
The girls paid, well, all the girls but Hermione paid, and they went out into the snow to trek back to Hogwarts. Hermione still led the group, but the pace was noticeably slower. They were the last group to enter Hogwarts' gates.  
  
The next couple of weeks passed without event. More people were asked to the ball, several more people were turned down. Harry was asked by many girls but didn't accept a single offer. He was, as usual, depressed but Hermione paid him no attention. Finally, it was the day of the Yule Ball.  
  
The Commons rooms was quickly filled with boys in their best robes waiting for their dates. Once the girls began to arrive, couples began to slowly file out. Ron, Harry, and Hermione were the only ones in their group without a date. Neville had been asked by Luna. As the rest left, Hermione paused for a moment, almost regretting her decision to go at all. With a push from Ginny, she stumbled out of the door to Gryffindor Tower and walked down the stairs to the Great Hall.  
  
Lupin stood and walked out of his office to go to the ball. There had been one of these when he was at Hogwarts. It was one of the worst days of his life. However, this day was about to take the cake. The one person in the entire universe that he wanted to go with would never want to or be able to accompany him. He had to go anyway. Dumbledore had insisted that they go under pain of listening to a Muggle artist named Britney Spears. Lupin had once experienced that and refused to ever again.  
  
The Great Hall was filled with huge Christmas trees and in the center of the hall was a dance floor that reminded Hermione of a movie she had once seen, 'Saturday Night Fever'. The Weird Sisters were setting up on a temporary stage. Hermione and her friends took a table in the corner opposite the main doors. [No easy exit, I suppose.]  
  
Lupin walked into the hall through the staff entrance. His place card was between Professors Trelawney and Sprout. Both wanted to have the first dance with him but he just made up something about how he could never choose between the two of them. They giggled like schoolgirls. He groaned.  
  
Sadly, the first waltz began to play much to early for Lupin's, and Hermione's, tastes. Trelawney, it seemed, possessed strength belied by her stature. She dragged Lupin onto the floor that had finally stopped flashing and began to lead him in a waltz.  
  
A blushing Ron came up to Hermione at the first beat of the waltz and asked her to dance. She couldn't turn him down again so she just accepted against her better judgment. They reached the dance floor and awkwardly put their arms around one another. Hermione didn't pay attention to what they were doing. Luckily, Ron was a better dancer than Neville, who kept stepping on Luna. Hermione wasn't paying attention to Ron, Neville, or anyone in the room for that matter. Anyone but Lupin and Trelawney. [What is he doing? How can he dance with that-that BAT?] She turned her face away from Lupin and began to watch those around him. After only seconds, she found herself watching him again.  
  
"Are you okay, Hermione?" Ron asked, genuinely worried.  
  
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," she responded, forcing a smile. She watched as they danced. He seemed to be enjoying himself. Tears began to form in her eyes.  
  
Lupin winced as Trelawney spun him a bit to fast. He quickly pasted a smile back onto his face as she tilted her face up to look at him. She began to ask the usual polite questions. He responded occasionally, letting her talk instead. He nodded occasionally and laughed once. He began to pull away at the end of the song but the Weird Sisters went into another waltz and she moved faster along the dance floor. {Guess I'm stuck.}  
  
Hermione kept watching them. She didn't notice the new song start and didn't notice as Ron kept on dancing closer and closer to her. Finally, she couldn't take it any longer. With a mumbled apology to Ron, she pulled away from him and ran off the dance floor and out of the hall, crying.  
  
Lupin watched a sobbing Hermione dashing out of the hall, a stunned Ron standing in the middle of the floor, and pairs of students beginning to whisper to one another. The whole time, he was forming a plan of escape. {I need an excuse. I can't bear to dance with Sybil another minute, and above that I have to find her. Albus already offered to excuse me at some point today if I was still tired from the transformation.} At the end of the waltz, which ended rather abruptly, Lupin walked up to the staff table. "Excuse me, Albus? I feel rather drained after my transformation. Would it be a terrible inconvenience if I was to leave early? I just need to sleep a bit."  
  
"Of course, Remus," said Dumbledore. "Go ahead. You need the rest."  
  
"Thank you, Albus." After making a few excuses to the other professors, Lupin calmly exited the Great Hall. Once he was out of sight of everyone, Lupin walked much to quickly for a sick man, following her scent.  
  
Hermione raced up the stairwells. She couldn't go back to the Great Hall, but she didn't want go to the Commons Room. She didn't want to be alone. At some point, her feet carried her down a hallway. She recognized where she was, though she had a ways to go yet. [Almost there, Mione. You can make it.]  
  
After racing up much too many flights of stairways, Lupin followed her course down a hallway. His hallway. He caught sight of her robes as she spun around the corner at the end of the hall.  
  
She ran faster. Reaching the door of his office, she finally realized that he was still downstairs. She hit the wall and slid down along it, tears pouring ever faster down her face. She let it all come out. "Why, God? Why?" she screamed at the hall.  
  
He had finally made it. He heard her voice crying out. He pushed himself into a sprint and kneeled in front of her. "Shh. It's okay," he whispered, gather her into his arms. "Come on." He helped her into his office. She sat down in the seat in the window where he had once sat, watching her arrive at Hogwarts. He sat in the chair opposite the window. He let her sit for a few moments. Once her sobs had died away, he started to speak. Before he could start in on his confessions, she interrupted.  
  
"I'm sorry to bother you, Professor. Should I leave?"  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"I'm sorry to be such a burden," she said, beginning to stand. Suddenly she sat back down. "No. I-I can't leave until I tell you."  
  
"What is it, Hermione? Are you all right?"  
  
"I haven't been okay since the first day of school. When I saw you- I don't know how to describe it. I didn't feel the way I do around Harry or Ron. I certainly didn't feel that way around Viktor. At first I thought that it was just another silly crush, like the one I had on Lockhart. Stupid, I know. After time, after my birthday, I knew it was more. But I was too afraid. 'He's much too old' I told myself. 'He just sees you as another student, like Ron or Pavarti.' But I couldn't stop. It was as though something in you was pulling me in. It was like I could- I could see your inner light, if that makes sense. I could see you. The real you, not the teacher you. But that was silly, and I knew it. But I still had that feeling of knowing you more than I knew myself. I tried so hard to tell myself that you didn't care, that I shouldn't care but tonight, at the ball, when you were dancing with that- that bat, my heart felt as though it had been ripped out of my body. It was then that I knew. I couldn't though, I knew that. I couldn't feel the way I did. It wasn't that I didn't want to, I just knew it wasn't possible. So I ran. Somehow, I ended up here. With you. I- I think I love you, Remus." Hermione gasped for a moment. "Oh my god. I'm so sorry. I'll leave. I'm so sorry." Hermione stood up and ran towards the door. Lupin's wolf instincts took over.  
  
Lupin jumped out of his chair and cut her off halfway towards the door. "There's something I need to tell you, Hermione."  
  
Hermione stared at him. "W-Wh-What?"  
  
"Just- just sit. You've made your confessions, let me do the same." Hermione let him guide her to the seat he had been occupying. He sat in the window seat and stared out the window for a moment. "Okay. I can't explain this properly. I might as well just tell you. I think, no, I know. I know that I love you." There was silence. "Let me put it this way. I've met many women throughout my life, many of them right here at Hogwarts. Sure, I liked some of them, but I never loved anyone. James and Lily, that was true love. I envied them. We all did. I thought that I'd never have that. I mean, I was a werewolf whose claim to fame was a friendship with the two most popular boys in the year and the school. I often stood behind them. After the first war, I completely gave up hope. Then I saw you. I often felt that I knew you. I could sense you the moment you entered the gates. I recognized myself in you. Then, after the first feast, I stopped seeing myself in you. I saw you in you. But not you-you. An older you. The next thing I knew, I was always thinking about you. On your birthday, when our hands touched, I knew it. I had never ever felt that way before. It was the way James said he felt the day he fell in love with Lily. But I was your teacher. I tried not to think about it any more. Each class it became more and more painful to see you but never, you know, see you. I'm sorry if I seem forward or very. nasty in thinking that way but it isn't a thought. It's a feeling that I can't help. I love you, Hermione Granger."  
  
"Gods. I never thought I would hear you say that." Hermione started to cry again, but, for the first time in years, it was tears of joy. Lupin knelt in front of her.  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
"For the first time in years, I think I am." Their hand entertwined and the white light returned. "Do you see that too?"  
  
"Yes. Do you know what it is."  
  
"Yes. It's beautiful, isn't it?"  
  
"How could we think that isn't would never happen with this around us?" Their foreheads rested against the other. The clock chimed.  
  
"I have to go. They'll be heading back. I- I'll come back. Tomorrow. After the Christmas feast."  
  
"I'll be here," he promised. Their lips brushed together for a millisecond. They jumped apart. "Er, tomorrow, then?"  
  
"Tomorrow." As she hurried down the hall, she realized something.  
  
[{I have to get a present! I have just the thing.}]  
  
End  
  
A/N: Finally. There it is! I was going to split it so it went (1) ball (2) confessions, but this way it flows better and is all happy. PLEEASE review!!! This is one of the most important chapters in the story. If there's any major errors or anything, I'll correct it. Keep in mind the confessions came out of my head through my hands onto the computer all at once. I wanted to keep it as confession-y so the grammar in there just ignore.  
  
PLEASE recommend this, review this, anything!! (Check out my other stories too)  
  
Anyone who wants more updates on my progress chapter-wise or people who want to maybe be able to give some of their ideas for the story, send me your email so I can get stuff to you. My address is in my profile! 


	8. Happy Christmas

Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine, neither are the lyrics.  
  
{Remus's thoughts} [Hermione's thoughts]  
  
Chapter Eight: Happy Christmas  
  
Hermione fell asleep on Christmas Eve without candies dancing in her head. All she could see was his face. All she could hear was his voice. All she could feel was the feel of his lips on hers for that brief, wonderful moment. His taste lingered on her lips, and his smell was in her robe. She was happy- genuinely happy- for the first time in months. Better yet, she was in love.  
  
Remus didn't sleep much on Christmas Eve. All he could think about was Hermione. {Am I doing the right thing? I know we love each other; the light is proof enough of that. But she's still young. If anyone were to find out- But does that even matter?} His thoughts quarreled all night long. By the end, his only thought was whether his gift for her was good enough or not.  
  
Christmas morning arrived. The usual noise in the Common Room had increased ten-fold. Ginny dashed into Hermione's dormitory. "Come on! The boys are going to kill you if you don't get down there so they can open presents." [Boys. All they can think about is presents. Presents- I have to find that part.] Hermione shouted to Ginny, promising she'd be there in a moment, and dove under her bed to find Remus's present.  
  
Dumbledore's head popped into Remus's chamber on Christmas morning. "Wake up! Presents and the like are in the Staff Room. Don't want to miss what I got Snape!" Remus laughed quietly to himself. Dumbledore turned into a little boy every Christmas. After talking to Harry, Remus had gotten him the perfect present. Maybe this year Albus would be happier after opening all of his presents and, apparently, finding something lacking.  
  
Hermione's Christmas morning was interesting, to say the least. She had received the usual: books, parchment, quills, socks from Dobby, a sweater from Mrs. Weasley, sweets, and, from Ron, a pile of Quidditch-related things. "I thought you should learn more about it," was all he would say to her questioning.  
  
Lupin didn't get anything of interest from the other staff-members. However, Dumbledore was very pleased with his present. "Woolen socks! I thought nobody would ever- How did you- Thank you so much," Dumbledore ecstatically thanked Remus, his eyes glittering with tears.  
  
With minutes left before it was time to leave for the feast, Ron asked Hermione to talk to him "in private." Hermione grudgingly followed him into a back corner of the Common Room. "Look up," he said. Hermione caught a glimpse of green and suddenly Ron's face was millimeters from her own. She dodged to the side and he caught her cheek.  
  
"Ronald Weasley! What the hell do you think you're doing?"  
  
"It's mistletoe."  
  
"I know and I really don't care," Hermione's voice grew louder, so loud that it was shaking with her anger. "Explain yourself."  
  
"You're supposed to tell people how you feel about them at Christmas and I thought that- I thought that I could give you your first kiss."  
  
"My first what? Without even asking? Honestly, do you think that I've never kissed anyone before? What do you think Viktor and I did in the library? We weren't just studying. And while we're telling people how we feel, never do anything like that ever again, Ron, or I swear to God that you'll regret you ever met me." With that, she turned and pushed her way out of the crowd that had grown around them. As she began to open the portrait, Ginny rushed up and began to try and calm her down.  
  
"What happened to her? I thought she liked me. She danced with me, didn't she?" Ron tried to make sense of it all, but neither he nor Harry could come up with a reason why Hermione had gotten more upset than she had ever been before.  
  
By the time Hermione got to the Great Hall, she had calmed down considerably. However, at the first sight of Ron's red hair bobbing above the rest of the crowd entering the Great Hall, she began to shake again. [That prat. How could he even think that?]  
  
{Is Hermione okay? I've never seen anyone that angry in my life.}Remus continued to watch her under the pretense of 'scanning' the room for any trouble. He would have continued, but Dumbledore commanded everyone's attention.  
  
"Happy Christmas, everyone. I trust everyone received at least one good present today? Good, good. Well, I know all of you are anxious to eat, so tuck in!" Food appeared on their plates and everyone began to eat. After several minutes, Dumbledore got their attention again. "Sorry to disturb you, but it appears that there are yet more owls eager to deliver holiday greetings. Watch your heads!" Owls swooped overhead. Hermione was the only one to receive a greeting. The note read: 'My room, 8 o'clock.' Hermione glanced at the staff table with a questioning gaze. Remus caught it and gave the slightest of nods. She carefully folded the note and tucked it into her pocket.  
  
"What was that, Hermione?" Ginny asked, ever-curious.  
  
"Nothing important."  
  
"Note from your secret admirer, eh? I knew whoever it was couldn't forget Christmas."  
  
Hermione ate dinner, the earlier incident with Ron in the back of her mind. All she could think about was him. 7:30 came and Hermione excused herself. She was 'tired' and needed to get some rest. She knew that the rest of her dorm-mates would be a bit 'occupied' for the rest of the night. She freshened up, grabbed his present, and headed for his office.  
  
Remus excused himself as well. He got to his office early and paced until she came, worrying over whether his present was good enough or not.  
  
Hermione arrived at his door. She shrunk the present and tucked it into her pocket, next to his note. The door opened at her touch and she walked in to see him pacing. "Remus, are you alright?"  
  
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in, I'm fine. How are you?"  
  
"Fine, fine." A moment of awkwardness filled the room. "Er, happy Christmas, Remus!"  
  
"Happy Christmas. I have your present."  
  
"And I have yours. You go first."  
  
Lupin motioned for Hermione to sit on his couch, he sat in the chair opposite it. "Accio guitar." A guitar flew in and Lupin grabbed it out of mid-air before it beaned Hermione in the head. "For your present, I found a song. It's a Muggle song, but I think it rather fits." He cleared his throat and began to sing.  
  
"Never knew I could feel like this  
  
Like I've never seen the sky before  
  
I want to vanish inside your kiss  
  
Every day I love more than this  
  
Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing  
  
Telling me to give you everything  
  
Seasons may change, winter to spring  
  
But I love you until the end of time  
  
Come what may  
  
Come what may  
  
I will love you until my dying day  
  
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place  
  
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace  
  
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste  
  
It all revolves around you  
  
And there's no mountain too high  
  
No river too wide  
  
Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side  
  
Storm clouds may gather  
  
And stars may collide  
  
But I love you until the end of time  
  
Come what may  
  
Come what may I will love you until my dying day"  
  
Hermione was speechless. "Remus, that was amazing. I would give you your present but you just gave it to me."  
  
"Thank you. But, what do you mean?"  
  
"I mean," she enlarged the present, which turned out to be her guitar, "I was going to sing that song for you. But I guess this will have to do."  
  
Remus began to ask what 'this' was but was cut off as Hermione's lips touched his. Her present continued on for a bit, but Hermione finally pulled away. "I meant what I said last night, Remus. I love you."  
  
"I love you too, Hermione. But, can I ask one thing?"  
  
"Anything."  
  
"Why me? A woman with your brain, your talent, your you-ness, she could have anyone. Why did you pick me? I'm, what, twice your age, not that that matters, I have hardly any money, I'm not fantastic in the looks department, and I'm a werewolf. Why pick me?"  
  
"I didn't 'pick' you, silly. I fell in love with you. There's a difference. I'm not one of those girls who goes 'Hmm, I think that this week this guy will be the love of my life'. I don't pick people. I just follow my heart. It lead me to you. You know that. You've seen proof of it," she grabbed his hand, causing the light to glow again. "What you are doesn't matter to you. Okay, you're a werewolf. But you're also the most loving, caring, smartest, kindest man I've ever met." Hermione's present continued on a bit more.  
  
Remus was the one who pulled away this time. "Hermione, you do realize what will happen if anyone finds out? I'll get fired, I'll go to Azkaban."  
  
"For what, loving me?"  
  
"You're my student. You're underage. The Ministry hates werewolves. They've wanted to lock me away for a long time. This will seal it all."  
  
"I won't tell a soul, Remus, I swear." The bell chimed. "I have to go. I'll- I'll send you a letter. I'll be Areebah, writing to Remus. You be, um, Fateen, writing to Hermione. I have to go. I love you."  
  
"I love you." They kissed once more, but Hermione had to go. She left the room against her will to go back to the dormitory.  
  
[{Never knew I could feel like this.. Want to vanish inside your kiss..}]  
  
*End Chapter*  
  
A/N: Read, review, make me happy! The upcoming celebration of the Pilgrims arriving to kill off the original dwellers of North America should give me plenty of time to write more. I'm still collecting names for an email list. 


	9. The Talent Show Part One

A/N: Thanks for all of the lovely reviews, they made me happy. I was going to post at the beginning of break but the arrival of cousins for Christmas ruined that. But today I was sick and was banned from watching anymore of the stuff I got for Christmas so I am writing.  
  
A clarification: Ginny and Dean were a summer thing. Dean broke up with Ginny after rendezvousing with Seamus, Pavarti, and Lavendar on the train. I just sorted all that out myself.  
  
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns the HP series. Song lyrics don't belong to me either (credits at the end).  
  
Hogwarts' First Annual Talent Show  
  
Although the excitement of Christmas left the halls of Hogwarts after a few days, it was quickly replaced with the sounds of rehearsals. There was less than a week for the Talent Show. There weren't any auditions so the list of performers was extensive. It seemed that almost everyone was willing to perform in front of the entire school. Hermione had been one of the first students to sign up; Remus was one of the first teachers.  
  
Hermione walked downstairs on New Year's Eve to see a transformed Great Hall. It had been enlarged and then split it half. The back half was located behind a barrier stage. It accommodated soundproof booths for people to rehearse in, dressing rooms, instrument storage, and a small room next to the stage for the next act to wait. A new door was attached to the other side of one wall so performers could come and go without disturbing everything. Hermione, it seemed, and mistaken the new door for the normal one. She left the back of the Great Hall and went into the normal area to eat lunch.  
  
The long tables of the Great Hall were still there. As far as Hermione could tell, nothing had been changed. A distraught Ginny ran up to her. "Mione! They posted table assignments."  
  
"Really? Who are we sitting with?"  
  
"Ron, Harry, Luna, Colin, Neville, Dennis, Ernie, Hannah, Justin, and, oh yeah, Seamus and Dean."  
  
"Oh, Gin. I'm so sorry."  
  
"That's okay. This way it will be easier for me to see his reaction to my performance."  
  
"Gin. what are you going to do?"  
  
"You'll see," Ginny said with a mischievous look before walking out of the Hall.  
  
Hermione at with Ron and Harry, though the whole meal was rather tense. The incident on Christmas, though fading into memory, would never entirely be forgotten. Hermione still had the frequent urge to harm him in a way that would not only get her expelled, it would also stop him from furthering the Weasley clan.  
  
"So, Hermione," Harry said tentatively, "where were you at breakfast?"  
  
"Breakfast? Oh, I guess I ate before you got here. I had to find a few things for the talent show before lunch."  
  
"We missed you, Hermione," Ron said, half-whispering.  
  
"Thanks, Ron. I have to go, the show starts soon and I have to finish getting everything ready. My mom just sent the fabric today and I don't know how to sew, so."  
  
"Ask Ginny," Ron said, trying to help. "She can't knit, so Mom stuck her with the sewing before she came here." Delighted to hear that, Hermione rushed upstairs to find Ginny to pull her away from rehearsals to sew. After a few hours, and a bit of blood, everyone was ready to go onstage.  
  
The group of friends entered the Great Hall to find it totally transformed. There were small tables scattered throughout the room with a staff table at the back. The hall was light by small candles, giving it all a very intimate feel. Hermione, Ginny, and the rest were seated at the at one of the back tables. Hermione didn't have to get up until about an hour into the talent show. After listening to some mediocre acts, including a group of first-years performing "My Heart Will Go On" with hand-motions and Trelawney attempting to sing an aria, she got up to leave quickly followed by Ginny, who was set to go on after her. After listening to a few more acts, Hermione, changed and ready, took the stage.  
  
Hermione was guided to the center of the stage. Dumbledore presented her. After he finished, Hermione took a single step forward into the spotlight. She wore a long, black, halter-style dress with the minimum amount of makeup required. Her hair was worn loose and out-of-control yet looked like a star. With pre-recorded music beginning to come out of the enchanted amplifiers, she began to sing.  
  
"I lived my life in shadow/ Never the sun on my face/ It didn't seem so sad, though/ I figured that was my place/ Now I'm bathed in light/ Something just isn't right. You make me complete." She sang the whole song looking straight at Remus, though the casual observer would think she was staring at the back wall to stave off nervousness. The audience fell away and the two of them were the only ones there, as far as she was concerned. The song over, she bowed and walked off, leaving a standing ovation.  
  
Ginny greeted her backstage with a squeal. "Mione, you were amazing! They loved you."  
  
Hermione grinned. "I know. Now go, do your thing, I'll watch from here." Ginny was dressed a la Gwen Stefani. She started the song without an introduction, surprising everyone. She did a killer rendition of No Doubt's "I'm Just a Gril" and blew everyone out of the water. She walked off-stage without acknowledging the audience. Hermione hurried to greet her. "Gin, that was- wow. Why'd you pick it?"  
  
"I don't know. For me, I guess. Let's go back and watch Harry." As the girls walked out of the rehearsal area, Hermione saw Remus walk out of the Great Hall.  
  
"Um, Gin, I'll meet you in a sec, okay?  
  
"Tell me about anything I miss."  
  
"Don't I always?" Hermione said, crossing her fingers.  
  
"Hello, Hermione."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED.. 


End file.
